//------------------------------// // The Gambler // Story: Upheaval: Reckoning // by Visiden Visidane //------------------------------// Upheaval: Reckoning Chapter 58: The Gambler He knew he’d find her at the heart of this abyss. Black Rose couldn't be anywhere else but the heart of the matter. Terrato walked slowly, not out any pleasure for finally cornering her, but because it was so hard to move. Breaking free of the tangle of the Old Kingdom’s filthy souls would have sapped him greatly even if he hadn't expended a lot of energy fighting Gravitas. Drops of his blood broke free from him, floating off to the abyss as tiny, crimson spheres. Behind him, a trail of these droplets marked his passage through this darkness as surely as the searing heat he emanated. Life Tap, the conversion of vitality to magical energy, was one of the core principles of Necromancy. Ideally, necromancers harvested from corpses, the fresher the better. Unscrupulous ones happily harvested living victims to maximize gain. Desperate ones, as he was moments ago, had no problem turning on themselves, and he had tapped a lot of vitality to create that molten barrage. If Black Rose had gained access to the smallest fragment of Oceanus’s Throne, there was no way he could bring her down. If she was even the fresher of the two of them, this would be a desperate, likely lost battle. Terrato was panting just to get to her. But, as her figure came ever closer, the tightness in his chest lessened. Black Rose was not glowing with power, whether hers, the power of sunlight, or the power of Oceanus’s Throne. Floating above her was the faint outline of the same sphere that Gravitas had been trapped in. Except that Gravitas wasn't there. At least, most of him wasn't. Within the outline floated a few pieces of something. They looked like bloodied shreds of barding. He couldn't get a feel of Gravitas’s presence. What had happened? How did Black Rose do away with that wretch? Did she sacrifice him to the Throne? He took another step forward. She was still staring at the blackness, her back turned to him. The Throne was before them. He could feel it even in its dormant, silent state. There was nothing to see, hear, smell, or actually feel on his skin. Knowledge was the only way to perceive the Throne. He just knew that it was there. Did that same knowledge hold her attention so thoroughly that she couldn't even tell that he had already arrived? Or had she become so arrogant that she couldn't even be bothered to face him? Another step later and she finally did turn. Her slow movement told him enough. She knew that he was there. She probably knew when he was still far away. It was hesitation that kept her from turning. “I did not expect to meet you like this, beloved,” she said. “So where’s the big smile?” Terrato asked. His voice was a soft rumble. No more roaring, no more shouting. He didn’t want to waste anymore strength on that. He couldn't. “Don’t you love it when unexpected things happen?” “Not this,” Black Rose whispered. She sounded so tired. Her mane was disheveled. Her limbs lacked their usual spring. Her eyelids looked heavy. This was such a far cry from the triumphant Black Rose wielding the power of sunlight high above Bastion City. “I’m sorry for tricking you and trapping you here. If you had waited a little while longer, my Thorns and the Elements of Harmony could have freed you without all that harm.” Her gaze started at his hooves and moved up. She was taking in more than just the bloody mess on his coat and barding. There were lines spread around his body. As if there was magma peeking out just underneath, they pulsed a deep red glow. The power of earth was in no danger of exploding from him, but he had spent so much strength that his form in this world was straining. The tips of his fiery mane occasionally shifted to solid, red hair for a second or so. “The time has passed for all your little shows of devotion, Rose,” Terrato said. “We’re down to this last encounter and I can see that you've failed in acquiring the Foul Weapon. Play your games if you must when your Thorns and the Elements of Harmony show up. While it’s just you and me, tell me why you've come this far.” Black Rose pushed away a sweat-damp lock of her mane from her face. “So quick to point out my mistakes,” she said. “It felt like I was back in the Gray Sentinel for a moment there. Won’t you acknowledge my achievements as well, beloved?” Terrato stopped moving forward. It wasn't just because he did want to hear Black Rose; he didn't want to come any closer to Oceanus’s Throne. Not when there were so many unknowns. Black Rose risked much just being so close. He could only gamble so much, especially after what the ponies of the Old Kingdom did to him. “What have you achieved that I should acknowledge, Rose?” he asked. “Why do you even need me to?” “I’ve reunited you with your sisters,” Black Rose said. “The barrier was but a physical manifestation of that inner rift. My Thorns have pushed the Elements of Harmony, and this abyss has served well as the crucible to bring out their best. In the process, the potential threat from the dormant Old Kingdom was destroyed before Oceanus returned.” “All true,” Terrato said. “I admit it, Black Rose. I owe you a great deal. More than I’m willing to admit to my sisters. Or to anypony for that matter.” Black Rose smiled. Not that confident smile she used to hide her plans and to keep her foes uncertain. Not this time. For what felt like a long, long time, Black Rose showed him that soft, happy smile she had when he first welcomed her to the Gray Sentinel. For some time, Terrato didn't want to continue. If only he could freeze this moment, store it away somewhere and relive it whenever he wanted to. “What have you done with Gravitas?” The smile was gone. Terrato’s chest ached as the moment passed. “I had hoped that a sacrifice would draw a more favorable reaction from Oceanus’s weapon,” Black Rose said. “Gravitas is responsible for the destruction of several handmaidens of Oceanus after all. I offered him and he was devoured alive. I make no apologies for this, beloved, I enjoyed his last screaming, undignified moments.” “He was an enemy of Oceanus. We could have still used him.” “There isn't enough chance of that for a gamble. He was too scared and too set in his ways. You spoke with him. You know that we do have neither the time nor resources to make him see differently. Even if we succeeded, I doubt he would have had more use against Oceanus, especially when he was so easily led around.” “You fed him to the Foul Weapon for that?” Terrato asked. “Gravitas is not completely lost, beloved,” Black Rose said. “He has been diminished and trapped within Oceanus’s realm. He can be set free to rejoin the Herd. After our victory against Oceanus of course. A victory achieved with Equestria intact and our place in the Herd secure. But why don’t we drop the pretenses? A weapon is a tool, a device that can be manipulated by a pony skilled enough. This thing is more intimate to Oceanus than that. It reacts to no prodding; it hears no bargains, taunts, or pleas. It has nothing for me. Not even contempt. I do not exist to this thing, no matter how hard I've tried to make myself heard.” “Oceanus’ Throne will hear nopony but him,” Terrato said. “Your plan was doomed from the start, Rose.” “Was it?” Black Rose tilted her head, a hint of a smile showing again. “If that was true, then why did you chase after me?” Terrato didn't answer. He didn't need to. “Was it because you understood all along that bringing the Elements of Harmony to this place would bring out the best in them? That it was better to deal with the Old Kingdom while Oceanus was still dormant? Or...perhaps, you were worried about me?” “Of course I was,” Terrato said. Black Rose paused and stared. She had likely expected the need to hint and be coy. Terrato was too tired to play. “You were going to become a bride of Oceanus. That was the only way you could gain some control over his Throne.” “Then--” “Damn it, Rose!” Terrato winced. Even snarling hurt. He lowered his voice, both out of necessity and because the next words warranted it. “I still love you. What did you expect would happen if I thought you were going to become that monster’s bride?” “I’m hurt and flattered all at once,” Black Rose said. “But there are methods even I won’t pursue. Equestria will not survive me as Oceanus’s Queen, if such a thing was even remotely possible.” “You fed Gravitas to Oceanus’s Throne, Black Rose,” Terrato said. “There will be reprisals. He may not be as popular as Lexarius, but he has allies within the Council of Elders and other sources. Are you confident that Equestria would survive their reprisals that while Oceanus’s arrival draws closer?” “Would they even dare, I wonder?” Black Rose asked. “You said it yourself, Oceanus’s arrival draws ever closer. The Council of Elders may bicker and plot while the threat is dormant and the King is away, but who among them would harm Equestria with your father preparing for battle?” “You’re a rebellion short.” Black Rose’s glanced at the void behind her. “Then, let us complete the set: Prince Terrato wielding this horrifying weapon, even for a moment, to completely destroy the meddlesome Gravitas. I believe that would count.” “There is no way I would do that!” Terrato snarled. He could feel blood at the back of his throat. “No need to. You came to the abyss after fighting Gravitas. Now, he’s gone. Many will have doubts, but who would risk trying anything if even a possibility exists? We can create a fake eighth rebellion. You suffer a small blow to your reputation, but Equestria will be safe long enough to prepare for the real one. Think of it, beloved: a united Equestria free of threats from within this world and without. Think of what you and your sisters can accomplish!” “I know what my sisters and I can accomplish,” Terrato said. “What I don’t know is where you will be after this.” “That will be decided momentarily,” Black Rose said. “I am down to the last vestiges of my strength. The power of sunlight is gone, and I used a great deal of magic just to bring my Thorns to this place, keep them protected from the abyss, and keep my hold on Gravitas until he was sacrificed.” She chuckled briefly. “What a terrible final battle we will have when the others get here; a gathering of ponies barely able to stand!” “Rose...” Black Rose looked past Terrato. He didn't need to follow her gaze. The presence was enough of a giveaway for Twilight Sparkle and the rest. Besides, who else was there to expect in the abyss? “Thank you for those words,” Black Rose said, much too softly for the new arrivals to hear. “And I still love you too.” Her smile, the smile she wore to battle, was back when she addressed Twilight and the others. “Finally, everypony is here. And what a fine sight you all make!” “We are glad to see you are still well, mistress,” Lion Court said. Black Rose nodded at Lion Court. “Well done as usual, my Thorns.” “Can we cut the long introductions?” Rainbow Dash snapped. “We’re tired and we’re hurt, nopony has the time for your speeches!” “It’s over, Black Rose!” Twilight said. She shut her eyes tightly for a second, straining to bring out a crackling glow out of her horn. “Step away from the Foul Weapon and give up!” The smile still didn't leave when Black Rose did take a step forward. “I give up,” she said. Even Terrato could barely disguise a snort at the flabbergasted expressions on Twilight and her friends. “Do you honestly expect us to believe that?” Rainbow Dash asked. “It’s so obvious that you've got another trap waiting for us! It’s not going to work!” “I was asked to surrender and I complied,” Black Rose said. She looked to Twilight. “Do you accept or did you just offer something you can’t give?” “I...” Twilight Sparkle continued to stare in disbelief. ‘One more lesson for them, is it Black Rose?’ Terrato thought. “How do I know you’re not bluffing?” Twilight asked. “That is something you should have determined before you asked me to surrender,” Black Rose said. “It’s easy to offer mercy when you’re expecting a no, isn't it? You get to feel as if you've done your part before you move on to the more drastic solutions.” “I did not just say that to feel like the better pony,” Twilight said. She concentrated even harder on bringing out her magic and failed. “You...you knew that there was no way we’d have the strength to bind you, didn't you?” “The answer to that is irrelevant,” Black Rose said. “Would you grant me mercy, Twilight Sparkle?” Twilight glanced to her friends. “Don’t trust her!” Rainbow Dash said. “She’s obviously going to trick us!” “I...” Rarity frowned for a while. “Even if we demanded proof, there’s really nothing she could offer, couldn't she? Harsh as it may be, should we even risk such a thing? We only need look around us to see where she’s willing to take her schemes.” “That’s just mean!” Pinkie told Rarity. She looked to Twilight. “Of course we should forgive her! She said she was sorry!” “She’s a liar,” Applejack said. “We all know that!” Her voice softened. “But the lies have to stop somewhere, right?” “She’s had us in her mercy a lot of times,” Fluttershy said softly. “If we won’t spare her out of kindness, let’s spare her just to pay her back.” Twilight Sparkle looked towards Terrato. He snorted openly this time. Was she seriously looking to him for an opinion? More importantly, was he going to defer to her decision? He glanced at Black Rose. She wasn't lying about her flagging strength. She may not be horribly wounded, but she didn't look capable of putting up much of a fight and her Thorns fared worse. Yet, here she was, still playing games; gambling with her very surrender and amusing herself as he and the Elements of Harmony worked out a hierarchy. Without any answer coming from Terrato, Twilight looked to Black Rose. “What were you even doing here, Black Rose?” she asked. “You haven’t gotten any stronger by coming here at all!” “Would my answer affect your choice?” Black Rose asked. “My plan has failed. I’m at a disadvantage and I offer my surrender.” Twilight pressed her lips tightly together. “Rose, that’s enough toying with her,” Terrato said. “You've made your point. You got them with one more surprise.” “I had preferred a final test,” Black Rose said. “The Elements of Harmony against even a portion of the Foul Weapon. This is a poor substitute. We’re at an impasse. I can’t do much to harm all of you in any meaningful way that would bring out more of the Elements of Harmony, yet you won’t accept my surrender for fear of what I’m planning. The only solution seems to be my death.” “Let’s knock her out, then capture her!” Rainbow Dash said. “She can’t try anything if she’s out!” “Try it, Rainbow Dash,” Sablesteel hissed. “I still have enough venom to make your innards leak out of your rear!” “Your enemy has surrendered with dignity and you respond with barbarism!” Octavia said. “Shameful!” Applejack stepped in front of Rainbow Dash. “Maybe if Black Rose wasn't so sneaky, we’d have no problem accepting her surrender! She made this difficult for herself!” “Enough!” Twilight said. “We’re going nowhere! We’re not going to kill you, Black Rose.” She glanced at Rainbow Dash. “Or knock you out like we’re abducting you.” “All well and good,” Black Rose said. “What you will do remains to be seen.” “Let’s go,” Twilight said. “I’m sick of this abyss, I want to go back to Equestria.” “You’re trusting her?” Rainbow Dash asked. “You’re trusting Black Rose?” “And I thought she was the only gambler here,” Terrato said. “I don’t gamble,” Twilight said. “I picked the best option available.” She gave Terrato a knowing look that would have normally irritated him. “You wanted to spare her too, didn't you?” “Don’t decide anything on my account, Twilight Sparkle,” Terrato said. “You don’t owe me anything.” “Can we at least tie her up and get one of those horn-lock thingies on her?” Rainbow Dash asked. She looked to Sablesteel and Octavia. “Or is that too rough for her majesty too?” “Longstride should have aimed for your tongue, foal,” Sablesteel muttered. “Or I should have given him a hemotoxin instead of a paralytic.” To Rainbow Dash’s credit, she didn't bother retorting. “We don’t have horn-locks with us,” Twilight said. “But, even without any detection spells, I can tell that you’re almost out, Black Rose.” She looked to Applejack. “At least we have some rope.” “Yeah!” Rainbow Dash said. “Tie her up with the magic lasso! Maybe she’ll start telling the truth when we get it on her!” “My lasso doesn't work that way, Rainbow,” Applejack said. “But I'd be more comfortable if we get this slippery mare tied up.” Black Rose held her front hooves forward. “By all means,” she said. Applejack stepped closer and looked at those extended hooves as if they were deadly snakes. Though she put on a brave face, she could not completely disguise the tremble in her forelegs. Another second of hesitation passed before she began binding. “That’s a fine chain, Applejack,” Black Rose said. “Has it served you well?” “What do you know about this chain, Black Rose?” Applejack asked. She pulled the links together, roughly pinning Black Rose’s fetlocks to each other. “Come now,” Black Rose said. “Will every word I say make you ponies jump?” “You brought this on yourself,” Applejack said. “If you weren't scheming all the time, we wouldn't think you were scheming all the time!” “Well—“ Terrato waited for Black Rose to finish, but she never did. He blinked and shook his head. That was way too long even for the ridiculous theatrical pauses that she enjoyed. He looked to her and found her frozen between words. “What--?” He looked to the others. Applejack was also frozen in place, her jaw clenched tightly as if physical effort could keep Black Rose’s words from having any effect. Twilight Sparkle looked like she was about to say something too. “Hello, little brother,” Out of the great void which Terrato could only assume was Oceanus’s Throne, a distant, glowing figure winked into existence. Details were hazy, but Terrato didn’t need his sight to recognize who this was. Nor did he need the voice. The presence hit him in two ways; like an ice cold mist caressing his coat and like a grip of frost clutching at his heart. It tugged at very old memories. He had been too young to remember the firstborn like Celestia did, but some part of him held on to an imprint of that presence. “Firstborn,” he growled softly. “I am speaking to you because you are the only thing here worth noticing.” Black Rose had spent a great deal just to get here, even more just trying to elicit a reaction. It was strange to feel indignant for his former student when he should be glad that Oceanus can’t even be bothered to notice her. Terrato also noted that the firstborn did not sound languid as Luna had described. That his time was drawing closer was unmistakable. “How are you here? Aren’t you supposed to be dormant for one more rebellion?” “I am Oceanus. Prophecy bends to me. You stand before my Throne, little brother. I see you as if you were standing next to me.” “And that’s why you left it here, didn’t you?” Terrato afforded himself a smile. “You act like these ponies are as insignificant as the dirt, but you made sure you had an eye on them.” “I left my Throne here as a beacon, so others who wish to leave the Herd may follow.” He didn’t seem interested in the adverse effects of this monstrous thing had on his children. How much of Oceanus’ blindness towards his children was true? Were they truly so insignificant to his scale of power or was it merely disdain that made him pretend? “Little brother, it is no coincidence that you have found your way here.” “You’re not going to convince me to join up with you, firstborn,” Terrato said. “Save the sales pitch for the power of abyss.” Terrato’s eyes strayed towards Black Rose. It was her scheming and bravado that led them all here, yet she was helpless at the moment. They all were. He had played into her schemes on several occasions, was constantly reacting and had allowed the situation with him and his sisters to deteriorate, but Oceanus only noticed him. He was the only one the firstborn would deign to speak to despite all of Black Rose’s poking and prodding. He snorted. “And here I thought it was Luna you were after.” The glowing figure moved closer. The cold grew worse, but Terrato didn’t even shiver. His limbs were numbing and his body was getting heavier, but not even the slightest shiver at this unnatural cold. How different it was from Fenrir’s furious howling. The wolven king’s howl was a fierce winter storm; proud, defiant, strong. Oceanus’s presence was a hungry void, eagerly and quietly sucking away everything. “Luna is already mine.” Terrato grit his teeth. What a lie. What else could he expect from the firstborn? It was nothing but lies and blindness; both from his unfathomable pride. “Sun and Moon above, Ocean and Earth beneath. Daughters of Gratia, Sons of Dominus.” Why was the firstborn reciting bad poetry? Terrato raised an eyebrow. Did Oceanus have his own prophecies to spout? Wait...that might actually make sense. Celestia inherited the power of sunlight from their father and some of their mother’s powerful divination abilities, but she did not possess the sort of foresight to make accurate predictions. Luna inherited their mother’s power of moonlight, not so much the divination. Perhaps, it was the firstborn who got the whole package. “I would not bring you to my side if you asked to join. Little brother, you will destroy everything you cherish and I refuse to include myself among them.” ‘Everything I...’ Terrato shook his head. Lies. Prideful lies from the firstborn. Oceanus did not have their mother’s foresight. “If only I didn't exist, this would be your moment of crowning. But the Throne is already mine. All you will find here is loss.” “I disagree.” Terrato had to fight to keep his jaw from dropping. Though he could not see any detail from the firstborn, there was a slight fluctuation in the oppressive presence. That was Black Rose’s low-pitched, silken tone, defiant and tranquil at once. She shifted out of her frozen state as if she had just been pretending all along, but the powerful surges of magic around the edges of her form told Terrato otherwise. Black Rose did not have much magical energy when he found her in this place. Whatever was left was going into this confrontation with the firstborn. She may not even have enough to keep her Thorns alive in the abyss if things went poorly. Black Rose’s expression betrayed none of these anxieties. She looked and sounded as if she had just pulled off another trick to an amazed audience. She squinted at the distant glowing figure and put a hoof over her eyes as if trying to see farther. “Can you see me now, Oceanus?” she asked. “Or am I still too insignificant for your almighty eyes?” A rising sense of oppressive presence flooded them. It felt like being caught in a massive ocean swell. Terrato expected a powerful crash, like a rogue wave finally forming. No such thing came. Instead, the heavy presence blew past him gently, more an exhalation than devastation. It felt like...like a yawn. Black Rose let out a little snort. “And that’s all the proof I need to know that I was right in refusing to even remotely work with your cause.” “Little brother, you came here hoping to protect some feeble shard of light from our father’s Throne. You will find only loss instead. Your journey is at an end.” “Are you going to fight me now, firstborn?” Terrato asked. “You can’t even be bothered to show up for real and it’s going to take more than your constant posturing to annoy me to death!” Oceanus didn’t answer again. He didn’t need to. He didn’t even need to talk to Terrato to begin with. The end of his journey indeed. He wasn’t going to find the strength to pull himself out of this abyss. The Elements of Harmony didn’t look like they had much going for them either. Neither did— “Was he always that prone to snobbery?” “Would you have really preferred that he noticed you?” Terrato asked. He walked closer to Black Rose. He limped towards her. On her part, she didn't flinch. She even looked like she wanted to meet him halfway just to help him conserve his strength. It was amazing that she was still keeping her composure. Her gamble was an utter failure. “I’m glad, you know. I’m glad that he thinks that you’re not worth the attention. I’m glad that your theatrics bored him so much, he yawned and left.” Terrato paused, his ears perking slightly. That wasn't quite true. Oceanus had put some kind of distance between himself and his clearly unwanted children, but he wasn't gone. In that yawning void, Terrato could still feel some observation, a half-lidded, amused stare directed at him, mildly curious about his last few steps. “At least you found something to be glad about in this situation I've put you through,” Black Rose said. She didn't seem to notice. Oceanus likely didn't want her to. Terrato supposed that the mighty firstborn could easily will who got to feel his presence and who didn't if he put his mind to it. “There are a few more tasks left, beloved.” She looked around her and smiled. “I see that those of us not so skilled in necromancy are still frozen by Oceanus’s presence. That is useful indeed. I had hoped to control the Foul Weapon to stop its influence. Since it’s a Throne—“ “It needs to go,” Terrato said. “If it stays here, it will exert more and more influence as Oceanus gains strength. Eventually, he will rip Equestria apart from the inside by just calling it. We can’t destroy it, so it needs to be returned to him while it’s dormant.” He glanced at the void behind Black Rose. Oceanus heard that no doubt. But the firstborn wasn't here physically. He could observe, but for all his talk about bending prophecy, he wasn't going to act just yet. Good. He was going to get a front row seat to what his children were capable of. “True,” Black Rose said. “Once more at the same page.” Terrato lifted his horn, tasting the powerful magic weaved into the very essence of this wretched abyss. There was some sense to the firstborn’s words, sense he hated so much. He looked to his former student. Black Rose didn't quite understand the full implications of bringing him here. She gambled on his affinity and she gambled on his alignment with Equestria. “At the same page” she said. That was her weaponized confidence showing, that same weaponized confidence that was always keeping Twilight Sparkle and the others off-balance. Black Rose didn't always have a good handle on things, but her smile stopped opportunistic attacks as well as any magical shield. Confidence wasn't going to carry her much farther now. Not in the abyss. “You have a plan for this?” he asked. “My track record when it comes to plans has been rather dismal, beloved,” Black Rose said. “Nothing concrete, but the objectives are clear. This Throne must be removed.” “Your wretched gambling again.” Terrato snorted. “I often wish I beat that habit out of you all those years ago.” “Beloved, you would have beaten me out of existence,” Black Rose replied. “But we no longer have the luxury of nostalgia and wishful thinking. Equestria’s premier necromancers have a task at hoof.” “The array that sends ponies to this place will help, even at this distance,” Terrato said. “You noticed it even though you were being carried away by a wailing wave of lost souls?” Black Rose asked. For once, the awe in her tone didn't sound planned. “Since only the Elements of Harmony are here, we can assume that Celestia and Luna are manipulating it.” Terrato closed his eyes, “stirring” the abyss around them. He could manipulate the array, even from here. Especially with Black Rose’s help. He could draw just a bit more power from the surrounding darkness and use the abyssal transport to send this Throne away. It had to be done now, while the Throne was still lingering between dormancy and activity. The firstborn was up, but very groggy. If they ever stood a chance of moving this Throne without rupturing the very center of Equestria, it had to be done now. But he was weak and even with the aid of all this untapped power and an equally weakened Black Rose, he needed help. As he saw it, there were two options, both of which must be utilized. The Elements of Harmony remained great sources of power and they were right there, just a few feet away. Like his sisters, he had lost any affinity for using the Elements ever since Nightmare Moon’s emergence. If he asked for their help, however, they were most likely to agree. Once they were free of this strange stasis that Oceanus caught them in. However, just how much more can the bearers bring out after spending so long in this oppressive environment and dealing with the Six Companions and their minions? While the power of the Elements of Harmony could still shine through, their physical bodies may not be able to take on the strain. The elemental foci shattered when too much was asked of them. The flesh and blood of Twilight Sparkle and her friends could well follow suit. If that still wasn’t enough, Celestia and Luna were already manipulating the array and were thus immersing their magic in it. Under these circumstances... That annoying smile of Black Rose’s twitched just a bit. Wonderful, she was still on the same page as him. ‘You’d life tap your sisters?’ she had managed to ask without ever having to say a thing verbally or otherwise. ‘Of course I will,’ Terrato thought. ‘They’d understand. They’d give to the last drop if they had to.’ There would be complications. The power of moonlight would resonate well with any necromantic intrusion. Luna wouldn’t like the idea of a surprise draining, but he could always apologize later. The power of sunlight would react badly, especially with Celestia not knowing what he was planning to do. Roasting his eyeballs for trying to life tap his eldest sister would hardly be the worst thing to happen in this attempt. A plan was in place, at least. As much of a plan as he could wing with everything that’s happened anyway. Oceanus’s presence was receding. It wouldn’t be long until the rest of the ponies with him unfroze. “Beloved...” The first movements of what should be a massive and impromptu ritual was already going through Terrato’s mind. “What is it?” he asked. “I may not be able to say this before the end of this affair. I’m glad to be able to serve with you one more time.” “You’re not going out in some blaze of glory, Rose,” Terrato muttered. “You’re coming with us back to Canterlot and we’ll decide what to do with you there.” A flicker of eye movement came from Twilight Sparkle, followed soon after by Rarity and Lion Court. No surprise there. Here was another sudden decision that had to be made. Should they stop and explain everything to Twilight and the others first or just push through and let them figure things out? “Huh?” Twilight asked. “Why’s everypony just standing around? Let’s—wait...” Terrato snorted. She noticed it at least. The Elements of Harmony had gotten much stronger: certainly strong enough to defeat even the most horrific specters from the ponykind’s dark past, but Oceanus could have wiped them all out before they even noticed. “A little change of plans, I’m afraid,” Black Rose said. “I finally received some feedback for my efforts with the Foul Weapon, and the next step is obvious. Surrendering now would be folly.” Twilight Sparkle’s horn glowed brightly. “I knew it! Just another trick!” “No tricks,” Black Rose said. “Only last minute contingencies.” The others were beginning to recover as she continued. “I have failed to secure any advantage with the Foul Weapon, but this trip has not been a wasted one. The face of our true enemy is now clear. He has no interest in his children. He finds our accomplishments insignificant and our struggles, boring. As such, we will expel his foul Throne from Equestria and prepare for battle. The stage has been set. I need only the last key players.” Twilight looked to Terrato, likely for back up as she prepared an initial spell. “Save your magic, Twilight Sparkle,” Terrato said. “We’ll need every drop for this to work.” Twilight’s jaw dropped for a second before she snapped it shut in an outrage. “You’re siding with her?” “Wayward children of Oceanus...” Terrato stared at Twilight for a while, not with the usual stern or annoyed look he usually gave her, but a more somber, thoughtful one. He was young for an alicorn, born around the tail end of the sixteenth cycle, yet he was older than the oldest of the ponies of this world. The time which they had existed was but a tiny speck in the Eternal Herd’s history. Most of the Council of Elders found them too insignificant to exterminate, which was likely a bigger hindrance to Gravitas’s propositions than any of Lexarius’s motions. Oceanus snored through their struggles. It felt as if only Lexarius and his sisters had any real concern for these ponies. So few amidst the vastness of the Herd. A mere three... No, four. “I’m on your side,” Terrato said. She looked ready to argue, but a glance at his eyes gave her pause. Inwardly, he sighed with relief. He didn’t want to argue with Twilight Sparkle. “You understand, don’t you? You may not be able to see the damn thing, but you know it has to go.” Twilight Sparkle grit her teeth and glanced at Black Rose. It galled her of course. It galled her to see Black Rose sidling away from proper punishment as bigger and bigger problems arose. He snorted. Was it so long ago that she was on the wrong end of this mentality? She took on the whip because “proper punishment” had to be meted while bigger problems arose. Would she follow the same course as he did? Something worse? What would that make her? “She bet on this, didn’t she?” Twilight muttered. To Terrato’s relief, Black Rose either didn't hear or didn't want to make things worse. “No,” Terrato said. He glanced at his former student. “Don’t let the smile fool you. We’re here to bail this gambler out.” Finally, Twilight Sparkle swallowed the lump of frustration building between her grinding jaws. She let out a long exhale and stared in the direction of the Throne. Resolve took over her face as she spoke. “What do we need to do?”